Runner's Dilemma #10 — What Real Runners Look Like
Morning Running Log | Runner's Dilemma No. 10
What Real Runners Look Like
The longer you run, the more you notice something strange.
The best runners tend to look a certain way.
Calves that are thin, not thick.
Upper bodies that look underfed, not muscular.
Faces that are dark and weathered, not fresh and smooth.
Among runners, there's a word for this look.
* In Korean running culture, 없어 보여 (literally "looks like you have nothing") is the highest compliment — it means you've burned off every ounce of excess and your body exists purely for running.
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Someone in our running club achieved this look within a year.
A few days ago, over dinner, I brought it up with my wife.
She looked at me for a moment. Then, with a smile:
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Ah...
Right.
We always were.
...
I wonder when
our luck is going to turn.
